My Uncle Sol – that is Salvatore LaRocco – was one fun guy.
He made it his task to take each of his nephews on the first trip of their life.
Uncle Sol was an outdoors man of the first order. He had all the trappings of his craft. Fishing gear galore, shot guns, boots, waterproof pants, etc.
Stories were in unlimited supply. Every Outdoor movie was seen by him and he’d take us along.
When I turned 13 he took me, as he did with all his nephews, on a fishing canoe trip to Ely, MN.
I’ll never forget Bill Rom
When we pulled up to the store/out post – there was a black bear cub who’s mother was killed and he was being feed by Mrs. Rom.
We took a single engine Piper Cub to the lake we were going to fish near the Canadian Border. I can still remember how amazed I was that the border between Canada and the US was a pipe sticking out of a rock along side the lake.
We’d fish all day, eat a shore lunch of fresh lake trout and then be dog tired when we got back to camp about 5 PM.
Cook dinner – fresh fish, soup, bread and some fruit. – be asleep by 7 PM. Sleep was deep and we’ll deserved.
I have gone on many fishing trips since then, but none like Uncle So’s gift to his nephew.